Chapter 308 (Combined with 308)
308:
Li Wanqin was taken aback when she heard him say that right away.
She was clearly a little embarrassed. "Mr. Mu, I know I shouldn't have come."
"But you still came."
“Because I am his mother.” Li Wanqin looked at the man in front of her, her eyes filled with sadness. “Mr. Mu, I dreamed about him last night. I dreamed that he was looking for me everywhere and calling me his mother.”
Mu Zheng chuckled, a clear sarcasm in his voice, "You've been away from him for four years, and now you're finally dreaming about him."
“I’ve dreamed about him before.”
“But you didn’t appear before. You didn’t appear when Uncle Ye was here, and you didn’t appear when Uncle Ye was about to pass away.”
“Mr. Mu, I’m not here to take your child away from you. I know that Xiao Xi is your brother’s child, and I accept that. I just hope that you can let me come and see the child occasionally, talk to him, and let him know that he has a mother.”
"There's no need for that," Mu Zheng said indifferently. "He hasn't had a mother for four years, and he's doing just fine, hasn't he?"
"But wouldn't it be better if more people loved him, and if he knew that more people loved him?"
Mu Zheng chuckled again.
He found the woman in front of him somewhat ridiculous.
Love? How could she have such thoughts?
How could I possibly think I love Ye Qingxi?
How could they possibly think they're qualified to say that?
“Xiao Xi has a godfather this year,” Mu Zheng said slowly. “He’s not related to us by blood, nor is he related to our family, but he’s Xiao Xi’s godfather now. Do you know why?”
“Because he likes Xiaoxi,” Mu Zheng replied. “Our whole family thinks it’s a good thing that someone else loves Xiaoxi. He would personally grill meat for Xiaoxi when he was almost eighty years old, and he would have someone carve a valuable jade pendant in the shape of a leaf for Xiaoxi because his surname is Ye. He would fly over the next day to explain the misunderstanding between them because he was afraid that Xiaoxi would be upset, and he would bring his favorite dog with him. He would want to take Xiaoxi with him to the opening ceremony of the World Championships because he thought the World Championships would help the child broaden his horizons, even though he didn’t know that Xiaoxi was participating in the opening ceremony of the World Championships.”
"This is love, so he is qualified to be Xiaoxi's great-grandfather. What do you think you can do?"
Li Wanqin pursed her lips, "I may not be as wealthy as my great-grandfather, but I..."
"But you have a mouth, you can just move your mouth and say you love him."
"Mr. Mu, you..."
“Xiao Xi also has a very good brother.” Mu Zheng said in a calm tone, “When Xiao Xi goes to his house, he will prepare special daily necessities for him. If Xiao Xi is bullied, he will try to help him get revenge even if he has no power or influence. He is willing to open a shop with Xiao Xi. He will not eat snacks himself, but he will always buy Xiao Xi his favorite candied hawthorns.”
"This is also love, so I allow them to meet, chat, and go out together."
"Which of these things can you actually do?"
“I can also buy him candied hawthorns and cook for him. I’m willing to do anything I can.”
“Okay,” Mu Zheng agreed. “Then you go and divorce Zhou Fang, let Zhou Hanyong be with Zhou Fang, and I will allow you to meet Xiao Xi.”
Li Wanqin: !!
Li Wanqin was completely taken aback by his words and was momentarily stunned.
"Can't do it?" Mu Zheng mocked. "Then how about this: you hand Zhou Hanyong over to your current in-laws and don't see him for four years. After four years, I'll let you see Xiao Xi."
"How can this be?" Li Wanqin said anxiously.
Mu Zheng knew it.
"Xiao Xi is okay, but Zhou Hanyong isn't. Is this what you call love?"
“That’s not what I meant.” Li Wanqin looked at him. “I…I…I had no choice back then.”
"No one forced you; you gave him up on your own initiative."
"But what would happen to my father-in-law if I took him with me then?"
"You care so much about your father-in-law, why weren't you there when he called for you on his deathbed?"
"I changed my phone number, so I didn't know he was looking for me."
"You care so much about your father-in-law and love Xiaoxi, yet you didn't even tell them you changed your phone number. Is this what you call caring and loving?"
Li Wanqin: ……
Li Wanqin fell silent.
She did it on purpose at that time.
She deliberately didn't tell her father-in-law.
She wanted to cut off her thoughts about the child; if she didn't see or hear about it, she wouldn't think about it anymore.
So she unilaterally cut off their contact methods so that she could completely let go of Ye Qingxi.
“At that time, I really wanted to let him go, but I found that I couldn’t let go at all,” Li Wanqin said sadly. “President Mu, I beg you, please let me see him, okay? I promise I won’t see him too often, twelve times a year, no, eight times is fine, or even five times, just let me see him.”
"Impossible." Mu Zheng said without any mercy.
"That time, once a year should be fine, right?"
"I told you, it's impossible."
"Mr. Mu, you also have children, you know that..."
"I don't know," Mu Zheng said coldly. "I will not abandon my child, nor will I appear after the child's life has become happy and stable, to disturb the child's life."
“Even divorced couples have visitation rights! Besides, I am Xiaoxi’s biological mother! Xiaoxi is my child!”
"So what? In order to repay your kindness in giving him life, even if you abandoned him, he should be available whenever you need him and dismissed whenever you don't?"
That's not what I meant.
"That's what you mean," Mu Zheng said. "Mrs. Zhou, you're not as noble as you think. Your maternal love is just a lie. You're here today because he appeared at the World Championship opening ceremony, because he's grown up to be the person you never imagined. You think he's excellent, outstanding, and that he can bring you glory, so you rushed here to let him know he has a mother like you, to enjoy the honor he brings and the envious glances of others?"
“I’m not!” Li Wanqin denied.
"Then why did you come at this time? Why did you dream of him last night of all times? Why did you dream of him then and not earlier or later?"
"I……"
"Because you watched the opening ceremony, and you were envious, envious of Xiaoxi's father now, so you want to take back this honor, even though this honor has nothing to do with you."
"How can this have nothing to do with me? I'm his biological mother!"
"You're Zhou Hanyong's biological mother, aren't you? You've taken such good care of him for so many years, so why haven't we seen him on the opening ceremony stage?"
"you……"
Mu Zheng sneered, "Xiao Xi was able to perform at the opening ceremony because he is talented and hardworking. It was Elder Kang who taught him carefully. It was my sister who gave him the opportunity to be seen by Elder Kang. It was my father who brought him to our home so that my sister and I could keep each other company and like each other. It was Uncle Ye and my father's friendship of more than forty years that made my father willing to take care of his only grandson after he passed away."
"What does this have to do with you?"
"Even if we only consider Xiao Xi's birth, without his father and only you, he wouldn't exist."
“You gave birth to him, but you didn’t raise him.”
"It was Uncle Ye, who gave him love and care and helped him grow up healthily, who is now my younger brother. What does it have to do with you?"
"If your bloodline is truly so outstanding and powerful, then why do you need to come here now to acknowledge Xiao Xi? Zhou Hanyong has your bloodline and your love and care. He will surely stand out from the crowd and become an unparalleled genius. You can wait to enjoy his glory when he is six years old. Why come here and beg me to do something like this?"
"Besides, even if your bloodline is really that excellent and valuable, a million should be enough, right?"
"You!" Li Wanqin was furious that he would mention one million. "I can give you that one million right now."
"Of course you have to return it to me." Mu Zheng said coldly. "You broke our agreement, so you shouldn't be holding onto this only way out that I gave you. Otherwise, do you really think this is a marketplace where you can come and go as you please?"
Mu Zheng scoffed, "Mrs. Zhou, I am the president of the Mu Group. My time is very precious. Not to mention you, even if your husband's boss came today, he wouldn't be qualified to see me."
"The reason you've been able to see me twice isn't because you're so outstanding, but because you're connected to Xiaoxi. That's why I've given you the right to see me. Otherwise, what right do you have to be in this conference room, sitting here talking to me?!"
Li Wanqin was stunned; she hadn't expected him to say that.
“This million is a penalty for your breach of contract, but it doesn’t mean you didn’t receive this million before.”
"I thought you were a smart person. You should know what you can and cannot do after taking the money. I never expected you to be so stupid. You actually think you love him and want to meet me."
“I’m telling you, today you managed to see him. Tomorrow someone will see your husband, your son.”
"Today, you told him you are his mother. Tomorrow, someone will tell your husband, your son, that he is Zhou Hanyong's father."
"Of course you can have your son and husband do a paternity test, but when a richer, more generous, and more charming father appears, are you sure Zhou Hanyong would prefer Zhou Fang to continue being his father? Are you sure he wouldn't want a new father?"
"Are you sure Zhou Fang won't harbor resentment towards you because of this, and won't be curious about why someone suddenly appeared claiming to be the biological father of his son?"
“You can go and ruin Xiaoxi’s life now, and make him remember that he was abandoned by his mother.”
“I could also ruin your life with Zhou Hanyong, make him abandon you, and then abandon him.”
"You can try it and see if I keep my word."
Li Wanqin stood frozen in her seat, seemingly unable to believe it.
She finally remembered that when she first met Mu Zheng, he was the same way. His attitude was always very tough, and his methods were ruthless enough.
He was always polite and unhurried in his speech and actions, never got angry, and occasionally even showed a bit of politeness, which gave her an unwarranted misconception.
He's not the type to negotiate; she was just being naive.
"If Xiaoxi grows up and wants to find her mother, will you stop her then?"
"You're overthinking it," Mu Zheng said, delivering a fatal blow. "Xiao Xi doesn't miss you at all, so why would she look for you?"
“I asked him questions about you, and his answer was always no. It wasn’t the kind of feigned reluctance that he was afraid of upsetting me; he genuinely didn’t want to know.”
“He’s been living with us for so long, and he’s never mentioned my mother.”
“Once, the teacher asked him and his friends to call their mothers over, and he didn’t seem to react unusually. Later, my brother said that if this happened again, he should call his aunt, and my wife also said that she could come over. He obediently agreed without any resistance or objection, and he didn’t have any special reaction to the word ‘mother’.”
"He truly doesn't care about you, and he doesn't need you."
“That’s true,” Mu Zheng said. “You left when he was two years old. He has no memory of you at all. How could he miss you? And why would he miss you?”
Are you worthy?
Li Wanqin: ……
Li Wanqin felt as if her heart had been hammered repeatedly, almost shattering.
Mu Zheng was too lazy to appreciate her broken state. He said coldly, "This is the second time you've come to see me, and it's the last. If there's a next time, I won't see you or your family. I'll have someone go directly to Zhou Hanyong."
“This time, you came uninvited and broke our agreement. In addition to the one million, I will also have my assistant call your husband’s boss, demote him and cut his salary.”
Li Wanqin stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Mu Zheng's expression remained indifferent as always. "I told you before that as long as your family has no source of income, you won't have the time or energy to care about Xiao Xi's problems. But you clearly didn't listen, so I can only show you by doing it."
"This time it's just a demotion and pay cut; next time, I'll make him lose his job."
Li Wanqin shook her head in anguish, feeling a deep sense of regret and fear in that instant.
"I'll return the million to you, but please don't touch his job, okay? I'm the one who came to you, not him. This has nothing to do with him!"
Zhou Fang was their only source of income.
"Don't worry, as long as you don't show up again, his job won't get any worse."
Li Wanqin looked at him, her eyes filled with sorrow.
"Now, give me back that million, and then you can leave."
"Remember what I said: whether it's you or your family, if you step into this place again, Zhou Hanyong and Zhou Fang will see the people they are meant to see."
"Of course, if anyone foolishly appears in front of Xiaoxi and insists on saying something to her, I guarantee that your current family and the family you were born into will never have peace and tranquility."
"You can try it and see if I'm joking."
Li Wanqin: ……
At this moment, Li Wanqin finally understood that she had never been qualified to compete with the Mu family.
When Mu Zheng is willing to treat her with politeness and respect, she is Miss Li, and she can take one million from him as a way out.
But when he was unwilling, she could only be Mrs. Zhou, and her husband and children were like ants held in his hands.
She lowered her head, took out her wallet from her bag, and pulled out the bank card that she hadn't had a chance to touch and would never have the right to touch again.
She thought that her heart was already aching when she accepted the card.
But now she realizes that giving it away is just as painful.
This was her only way out, but now, she has no way out.
"Will you let Zhou Fang know that his demotion and pay cut were because of me?"
"He won't do it this time, but he definitely will next time, when he leaves the company."
Li Wanqin nodded, feeling that this was probably her only solace today.
She stood up and hurriedly left the conference room.
She left the Mu Group and wandered aimlessly through the streets. As she walked, Li Wanqin suddenly burst into tears, her grief and pain growing with each sob.
Her child doesn't miss her, not at all, and doesn't even have any special feelings for the word "mother".
He doesn't love her.
He doesn't need her at all.
Four years ago, she abandoned him.
Four years later, he abandoned her.
She was abandoned by her child.
Li Wanqin cried bitterly, unsure whether she was crying for herself or for her child.
As night deepened, Li Wanqin finally returned home.
It's not her home in Y City, but her home here.
She looked too embarrassed to go back to see Zhou Fang right now; she had no choice but to go home.
When Li's mother received a call from her son-in-law, asking how serious the situation at home was and whether he needed to come over, she knew that her daughter had probably come to her senses and decided to take her own son back.
She quickly replied, "It's not serious, it's not serious. As long as Xiaoqin is back, you don't need to worry. I'll let Xiaoqin go back once I feel better."
Upon seeing her return, Li's mother excitedly asked, "How did it go? Did you recognize Xiaoxi?"
Li Wanqin looked at her and burst out laughing.
She thought her mother was just as ridiculous as she was.
Even more ridiculous than her.
How could she possibly think she could get him back?
Spilled water can't be taken back, let alone a child handed over to someone else.
It was her. She went to see Mu Zheng, just hoping he would allow her to see Ye Qingxi.
Instead of recognizing Ye Qingxi.
Li Wanqin ignored her and went straight to her bedroom, intending to take a nap.
But Li's mother followed her and asked anxiously, "You told Xiao Fang that something had happened at home and rushed back. Wasn't it for Xiao Xi?"
Mr. Li also said, "Yes, Xiao Xi is still our child. How can we not let the child recognize her biological mother?!"
"That's right. I told your Aunt Liu and the others before that Xiao Xi is my grandson, but they didn't believe me. If you acknowledge him, bring Xiao Xi back, and we'll have a meal together. I'll let your Aunt Liu and the others see him too!" Thinking of this, the wrinkles on Li's mother's face smoothed out.
Then, won't they be so envious!
“Don’t worry,” Li’s father said again. “Even if Xiaoxi is recognized, it won’t affect you and Xiaofang. You can still live with Xiaofang and Yongyong. If Xiaoxi misses you, she can come to see us, and then you can come back. That way, you and your son can be reunited.”
Li's mother thought the same way, "If he still lives in the Mu family, then the Mu family is essentially not losing him. How could they not be happy about that?"
"Besides, the Mu family is better off than us. If Xiaoxi lives with them and grows up, she can help take care of Yongyong, which is good for you and Yongyong too," Mr. Li said shrewdly.
Li Wanqin found it laughable.
No wonder Mu Zheng didn't want her to see Ye Qingxi. Ye Qingxi was the apple of their eye, but in their family, she would have to be hidden away and wait for her to grow up and help take care of her younger brother.
Is this her going to see Ye Qingxi?
This means the Mu family will have to support another family!
Looking at the smile on her face, Li's mother asked, puzzled, "What's with that expression?"
"So, have you actually acknowledged Xiaoxi back?" Mr. Li asked.
"Recognize?" Li Wanqin turned to look at them. "How can I recognize it? What do I have to prove it?"
"You're his biological mother!"
"Then what?"
"What?! So the biological mother can't even acknowledge her own child?!"
"If we can recognize each other, why couldn't Ye Qingxi from four years ago recognize me? Why does he have to recognize me now that I want to recognize him?! Is he my dog? Someone I can summon and dismiss at will! Even if he is a dog, once he's given to someone else, he belongs to someone else and has nothing to do with you anymore."
That's not how you say it!
"Of course you can't say that, because dogs can't talk, dogs aren't people, dogs can't express their thoughts, but Ye Qingxi can. He doesn't miss me, you know? He doesn't need me! He's already forgotten me, and he doesn't miss me at all!"
"That's because you weren't with him. Feelings can be cultivated."
"Why didn't I stay with him?" Li Wanqin looked at her mother. "Because I didn't want him anymore."
“I don’t want him anymore, so he doesn’t want me anymore either.”
"That's not how it works."
“That’s how it is!” Li Wanqin’s tears suddenly welled up. “I was the one who abandoned him first, so I have no right to acknowledge him back!”
"What can I give him? I can't even give him a home!"
"What's the point of me bringing him back? Will he be happy here? He'll only resent me for ruining his wonderful life."
But you're his biological mother!
"So what if I'm your biological mother? Is she worth that much? You're my biological mother, but I still resent you just the same way!"
Li's mother exclaimed in shock, "You resent me? You resent me! What do you resent me for?! Everything I've done has been for your sake!!"
"Yes, you're thinking of me. That's why you immediately arranged blind dates for me after Ye Huai died. That's why you wouldn't let me take my child with me. You think he's useless and a burden. But now that he's successful, you've remembered him and want me to acknowledge him again!"
"I never even thought of going to Mu Zheng! You insisted on calling me and trying to persuade me, and what happened? My only way out is gone, Zhou Fang got demoted and had his salary reduced, are you satisfied now?!" Li Wanqin roared.
"What did you say? Zhou Fang was demoted and had his salary reduced?! Why was Zhou Fang demoted and had his salary reduced?!"
"Because Mu Zheng was unhappy. He was unhappy that I went to see him, so he decided to teach me a lesson."
"How could he do this!" Li's mother exclaimed angrily. "Does he have any sense of reason?! Is there no law?! Give me his address, I'll talk to him!"
Li Wanqin chuckled, walked to the door, and opened her own door.
“Go ahead and go. The moment you show up at his company, Zhou Fang will be fired, and Yong Yong will meet a man who claims to be his biological father. Go ahead and go. After Zhou Fang and I get divorced, and Yong Yong doesn’t want me anymore, I’ll move back and continue living with you all.”
Mr. and Mrs. Li: !!!
"What do you mean Yongyong will meet a man who claims to be his biological father? Could Yongyong's biological father be Xiaofang?!" Li's mother asked, puzzled.
"Yes, but what child doesn't want a rich dad?"
“When I was competing with him for Xiaoxi, he would send someone else to compete with me for Yongyong.”
"By then, if I don't recognize Xiaoxi, Yongyong might not want to stay by my side anymore."
"How could he do this!" Li's mother exclaimed angrily. "Is he even human?!"
"Exactly! Why did he even want Zhou Fang fired?! Isn't he deliberately making things difficult for your family?!"
"Otherwise what? Does he expect me to not make things difficult for him, but instead wait for me to appear in front of him every few days, to appear in front of Xiaoxi, and say that I am his biological mother?"
"But he can't do that!"
“Then go talk to him.” Li Wanqin pointed to the door. “Go! See if he will listen to you! See if Zhou Fang will be fired, if Yongyong will become someone else’s child, and see if our family can live in peace from now on. Go.”
Li's mother: ...
Li's mother stood still, without moving.
Li Wanqin was tired and didn't want to say anything more.
She turned around and walked wearily toward her bedroom.
After entering the bedroom, I lay down on the bed.
She closed her eyes, tears welling up from the corners of her eyes, running down the bridge of her nose, and finally landing on her other eyelid.
"That's it," Li Wanqin thought. "From now on, we'll each go our own way."
If her son truly still has feelings for her, he will naturally come looking for her when he grows up and becomes capable.
If not... that's perfectly normal.
She was the one who wronged him first; she doesn't deserve to be his mother.
She closed her eyes, tears streaming silently down her face.
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